Monthly Archives: April 2016

Hard Body Summer Shape-Up

TRX, Agility Ladders and more – we’re taking gymless training up a notch so you can shape a tight, toned and super strong physique this summer – outdoors!

Fresh air is invigorating while vitamin D provided by the sun is an essential nutrient to the body. What’s more, the warm feeling of the sun can provide an encouraging lift in attitude that will help supercharge your exercise efforts. So with that in mind, this month we share the latest info on some exceptional take-anywhere equipment options, plus an intense training trio to guarantee stealthy results. So get stoked because we’re thinking outside the “box” by dropping the traditional indoor exercises of free weights and resistance machines to deliver a multi-faceted approach to strength and cardiovascular conditioning – outdoors!

Fit & Functional

Every rep, every set, every workout, to get the most out of your training you need to be challenged on all three planes of motion: transverse (internal/external rotation), frontal (abduction/adduction), and sagittal ( flexion/extension). These are the three primary planes of motion the body is divided into, and are important because all motion occurs around one of these three planes. No matter your current level of fitness, keeping this knowledge in mind will lead to increased fitness while creating balance and stability over your entire body. This means that you’ll be able to perform the regular functions of your day with more ease.

Military & Sport-Inspired Fitness

No matter what you do, body resistance training can be highly effective for use in rehab and sport conditioning. You simply match the type and intensity of each exercise to your specific need. We’ve listed many great advantages of bodyweight-only training below. Plus, if athletes and the military can build their eye-turning physiques with this style of training, you can too!

So, if you’re ready for a fun and savvy way to get fit, check out the body-tightening trifecta top eLifestyle personal trainer, Robb Armstrong, has assembled in Robb’sHard Body Connection below. Plus, each exercise also comes complete with required equipment for each of the moves in the three stations!

Robb’s Hard Body Connection

How To: First, find an open space outdoors. For executing the TRX moves you will require a space that has a fixed object like a tree a limb, monkey bars, swing set, etc.

Next, perform each move in the circuit for the duration of 1 minute until the end, taking just 30 seconds max rest between each exercise. After each full circuit, rest for 3 minutes (less if desired) and then continue on for 3 rounds.

Station #1 – TRX: Squat Jumps & Rows Combo (30 sec. each move)

2. Begin by holding TRX straps, standing in a shoulder-width squat stance. Slowly lower into a squat (stopping at approx. a 90º at the knee for safety), and quickly jump taking both feet off of the ground.

3. Be sure to land with your feet flat with the majority of weight on your heels, back into a squatting position.

Next, switch to Rows:

1. Holding the TRX handles in each hand, face the anchor point. Standing with both feet close together facing forward, maintain this foot position throughout the exercise.

2. Jump up with both feet and land on the left foot only in the first square.

3. Immediately push off with your left foot and land with both feet in the second square.

4. Immediately push off with both feet and land on your right foot only.

5. Push off from your right foot and land on both feet.

6. Repeat this pattern for the full length of the ladder.

Big Time Bodyweight Training

To build diversity in your efforts and a bigger circuit with more stations, here’s just a few of the awesome bodyweight fitness-boosting pieces of equipment we used today that you can pull together to up your game:

TRX System – Professional Package: A total body training system that dramatically boosts your fitness level with over 300 exercises. “All Core All The Time”!

Equalizer Bars: Developed for bodyweight strength training in mind, but this versatile set of bars can also be used for cardiovascular training, muscle strength and endurance and stretching.

No Excuses!

Most people plan to exercise outdoors when the good weather hits, but few seldom make that a reality. Don’t fall off the fitness wagon this summer! Your take-anywhere-anytime approach to your training equipment will greatly advance your fitness level while keeping you on par with your goals. Keeping a variety of training tools on hand that can easily travel with you from your personal home space to the back yard, the cottage, or even the park, will have you super fit – not to mention turning heads this summer!

Nutrition & More For A Beach Ready Body!

If your training is on point but your efforts refuse to show, maybe matching your nutrition with your ambition will get the results to flow!

March Madness

The fast-paced life of juggling family and work, plus a balanced fitness program can often have you eating meals on-the-go. And since making sense of your options can lead to madness, we’ve got some tips to better feed your caloric need when your life is mobile.

Clean Cals for Energy & Recovery

If you’re looking to maximize your fitness and nutrition efforts, a wise strategy would be to rely on what’s been proven to work. First and foremost is timing – and it’s a real science. As a matter of fact, there are two times in your day when nutrition counts the most: right off the hop in the A.M. and post-workout. While your morning meal can ensure that adequate glycogen stores (the source of energy most often used for exercise) are available for optimal performance and focus to start your day, the post-exercise meal is critical to recovery and improves your ability to train consistently.

No matter your goal, snacking is an essential part of any healthy eating plan. Regular nibbling keeps blood sugar levels stable and can help prevent overeating later in the day. However, benefiting from this plan depends on one crucial variable: the kind of food you put into your mouth. It can be a caloric conundrum if you only count the calories in what you eat as the calorie count of any snack choice is just a number until you compare the make-up of those calories to another.

3. The serving size you eat depends on your activity level. By comparison, routinely downing a sugar-saturated doughnut may fill the void for the moment, but eventually the sugar crash will zap your energy and beef up your beltline.

eLifestyle Snack Suggestion: 6 oz of Greek yogurt with fresh fruit. You’ll get several grams of fiber, 15-20 grams of fast-digesting simple sugar carbs to fuel your engine, plus a hefty 14 grams of protein! Have any time at home, or take on the go. You can even make your own Greek Yogurt from home!

In The Fast Food Lane

Nowadays, even fast food restaurants are in tune with a healthy lifestyle plan by offering salads and fruit on their menus. The produce section and deli at the grocery store offer a variety of grab and go options, and plenty of restaurants offer lots of fresh vegetables and fruit options.

eLifestyle Fast Food Suggestions:

Sandwich and sub shops. They offer a variety of vegetables to add to your sandwich or eat on the side. Ask if they can use less meat or cheese and add more vegetables. Go easy on the butter, mayonnaise and other high fat sauces.

Burger joints. Try one of the entrée salads that many are offering. If you go for the burger, choose a salad or fruit salad side instead of fries. Have 100% fruit juice in place of pop or coffee. And say no to “super sizing” your meal. No one needs that much food all at once.

Restaurants. Try one of the entrée salads that many are offering. If you go for the burger, choose a salad or fruit salad side instead of fries. Have 100% fruit juice in place of pop or coffee. And say no to “super sizing” your meal. No one needs that much food all at once. Also, watch your portion sizes. Eat until you’re comfortably full, then take the rest to go.

Bonus Tip: If part or even your entire primary goal is weight loss, do not consume fast-digesting carbs later in the evening or night unless you exercise in the evening.

Balance Your Midsection

You can boast that you can do 1000 crunches with ease, but if your technique is lagging, you shouldn’t be bragging! When it comes to re-tooling your fitness program for faster results, increasing your core strength and stability with the proper exercises for your midsection is a must. Check out the eLifestyle Plank Exercise.

Waistline Warfare

From walking to treadmill training, cardiovascular exercise is an essential part of the fat-burning equation. However, if you have trouble getting started and/or perceive cardio sessions in general to be quite boring and monotonous, think again. Varying the method along with the types of programs and intensities you use on training day will help you get the most out of your cardio workout while burning a ton more calories than you’re use to. And that means winning the battle of the bulge! Need some techniques? Try some eLifestyle cardio techniques from last month’s blog!

Measure Your Success

It requires a greater amount of attention in the beginning, but learning the options you have available to help you obtain balanced nutrition during your busy day will become second nature. Remember, the key to satisfying your health and fitness goals is that you MUST focus your nutritional intake on what you need, when and why you need it, and how you can get it. Now you’ll be ready for the beach in no time!